


History Can Be Wrong

by Caryl (Starshone)



Category: Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale, Uncharted
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Crossover, Alternate Universe - Final Fantasy X, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Alternate Universe - The Last of Us, Alternate Universe - Zombies, Crack, F/M, Missing Scene, Prompt Fic, Twitch Plays Pokemon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-20
Updated: 2014-07-15
Packaged: 2017-11-26 13:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/651039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshone/pseuds/Caryl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Random AU bits and bobs. Started life as the results of a Tumblr meme ("Give me a pairing, give me an AU setting, and I will write you a three sentence fic" except with a chronic inability to stick to sentence guidelines) but then I came up with more AUs outside the meme.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nate and Elena, 1904 Russia

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anonymous](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous/gifts), [Rhiannon87](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhiannon87/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous: Nate/Elena, medieval Russia
> 
> Except I know nothing about medieval Russia. I could have gone generic medieval, but throwing Russia in there sounded like my anon wanted something more specific than generic medieval. Research can sidetrack me for hours, which I didn't want to happen for what was nominally supposed to be a three sentence fic, so I went with a period of Russian history I _do_ know something about: 1904, just before the 1905 Revolution.
> 
> (This prompt came a month after I was in a 1903 Russian play, _Summerfolk_ by Maxim Gorky, and our directors made us do tons and tons of research.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A dacha is basically a summerhouse, similar to the Kiwi bach. They're nice getaways for rich cityfolk, who used to head out there with their friends and visit each other's dachas.

Getting out into the country is supposed to be a break more for your wife than for you: While you can still do some translations at the dacha, Elena's boss can't reach her out here, and the odds of something happening in the woods for her to report on are blessedly low.

But without her work to keep her busy, she's restless, and long after your guests have retired to their own dachas, you find her gazing out from the verandah, unflinching when the night watchmen blow their whistles. She waves off the serving girl when you send her with a cup of tea, so you go to her yourself.

"You alright, Elena?" you ask.

She doesn't answer for a long time.

"Something's going to change," she says at last.

"Lena?"

From what you've read of her work lately, everything's seemed fine, business as usual, and you trust your wife's writing more than the muttering on the street.

"I haven't been able to write about it," she says, turning to you. "And I can't even get all the details... But I have a feeling our lives are going to become very different."

" _Hey_."

You take her by the shoulders, then cup her cheek in one hand.

"I don't care how different our lives are, as long as I've got you. Okay?"

"Okay," she says, but her smile doesn't reach her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've cast Nate and Elena as part of the intelligentsia, children of the lower classes who managed to get an education, which for Elena would have been difficult as educated women were still quite rare. Unfortunately, the press was still pretty much owned by the censors, so when she said she hasn't been able to write about something, she really hasn't.


	2. Chloe and Harry, 1920s-America mobster AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhiannon87: Chloe and Harry, 1920s-America mobster AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time I reposted the meme, I considered putting in a note about "no historical AUs, please, I will end up just researching for two hours", and then thought, "after that medieval Russia prompt that I turned into 1904 Russia, what's the worst that could happen, 1920's mafia?"
> 
> Which... I still ended up giving a slightly longer than expected TV Tropes read up, because I haven't actually watched much mobster stuff and nor have I been in a play set in the 20's.

Chloe Frazer isn't like any other dame you've known, and it's not only because being around her gives you an edge like you've gotten into the giggle water. The nice jewelry you're able to buy her with your torpedo money isn't enough to get her falling into your arms; it just gets a smirk playing about her kisser and a, "Well, isn't that swell?" that sounds like it's anything but. A glimpse of your pistol doesn't phase her, and when you express your surprise at this, she just laughs, says, "Oh, Harry, you slay me," and takes it from your hands with an alarmingly experienced grip.

Then you meet her father, and you feel like a sap for not figuring it out sooner.

(But you're no less stuck on her.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I change my mind on Chloe's ethnicity quite often, but "a bit Italian" seems to be a recurring theme.


	3. Nate and Elena, superheroes AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhiannon87: Nate and Elena, superheroes AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ideas I was tossing around for this included "all the ridiculous stuff Nate's survived, he _has_ to be a meta!", "SUPER GRENADE SURVIVING POWERS!!" for Elena, and "MAYBE ELENA IS THE DESCENDANT OF A BLACKHAWK."
> 
> Then, everything changed when I remembered how much I laughed with utter delight at Nate's powers in _Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale_.
> 
> I'm pretty sure I borrowed the term "meta" from the DCU.

Before you actually touched down at MCO, you had no objections to an assignment in Florida, even if it was covering the All-Star oil spill. (Human interest stories about cleaning oil from seagulls, trying to translate science into something that can be understood by the general public, international relations kerfuffles because there was a visiting royal on the beach, dealing with a young rapper's PR after his million dollar donation to the cleanup, _yawn_.) But then this oil spill started to look less like oil and more like nuclear waste, with reports of abnormal mutations in both humans and animals who've been anywhere near the luminescent blue stuff that's coming up on the shore, and you realize objectively that as the station's token meta, you're probably the best person they could have had covering this. You've always recovered quickly from both illness and injury, even if it took your surviving a grenade at way too close range with barely a few scratches to realize how _much_ of an asset that is, so if anyone's going to deal with potential mutations from exposure, it should probably be you.

(You wish someone else could have dealt with being robbed by a large bipedal raccoon, though.)

Besides, interviewing the All-Star survivors turns out to be surprisingly fun: The visiting princess can shapeshift into obesity now but she always has cake on hand. The fourth grader with the newfound affinity for monkeys (and the newfound monkeys: no zoos or even Animal Kingdom are missing animals) puts on a little show for you. And the guy with the beachfront apartment who can now generate bizarrely non-lethal firearms, oil barrels, a waist high wall of concrete, and _a crumbling stone floor_ out of nowhere is better looking and more charming than a survivor of possibly nuclear mutation has any right to be.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do with your powers?" you ask. "Join the army, put on a cape and cowl?"

He chuckles.

"Playing the hero's not really my thing. Nah, I'm just going to ride out this powers thing and try to live a normal life... Or as normal as it gets in my industry, anyway."

"Your industry being..."

"Antiquities acquisitions."

"I've covered antiques auctions," you say, one eyebrow raised. "How abnormal can acquisitions _be_?"

"Why don't I tell you more about it over dinner?"

Usually you try not to get personal with interview subjects, but you can't muster up too much guilt about accepting his invitation.


	4. A Whole 'Nother Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What should have been an easy, everyday smuggling run for Nate, Elena, and Sully goes horribly wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not actually a prompt this time, but inspired by [whatshisface](http://archiveofourown.org/users/whatshisface/pseuds/whatshisface)'s [Tumblr tags](http://thatoneotherkid.tumblr.com/post/75736783893/edwardelrics-nolan-north-talking-about) on a gifset of Nolan North talking about playing David in _The Last of Us_ , the key tag being "(in a parallel universe nate becomes infected)".

Nate has his sleeves down when you catch up to him.

"It is _freezing_ down here," he says, rubbing his arms. "Aren't you cold, Elena? I'd grab you a coat off one of these guys but they're probably crawling with spores."

"I don't think 'crawling' is the right word," you say dryly, but hey, at least he's thinking about it.

That's probably the biggest change in him since the outbreak: He thinks ahead a bit now, at least enough to poke around in old lockers without ignoring anything that looks like it's from this century. You know he'd rather be looking for treasure than scrap metal Sully can MacGyver together into gun improvements and five-year-old tins of food that _might_ still be edible, but the world has changed and so must you.

(You think your biggest change is that you're getting tired. The government's the kind of corrupt that you would have been investigating five years ago, but between them and the Fireflies, you'd rather have the soldiers.)

You're definitely tired by the time you meet up with Sully and he and Nate swap backpacks. Dutifully, you check the contents of the bag you've received and tally them down in your notepad, but then Nate shakes his head when you pass the bag back.

"You bring it back," he says. "I've got some business to take care of."

"What 'business'?" you ask sharply, because this is the first time he's mentioned it.

"Just some guys to meet up with," Nate elaborates, the false note in his voice getting clearer. "I heard these guys might pay more for some of this stuff. They don't like dealing with women, though."

"Want me to come with you, kid?" offers Sully.

"No," Nate says quickly. "I can take care of myself."

You put the bag down and step up to him, putting steel into your gaze like you're interviewing a cagey politician back in the old world or dealing with a trumped up arms dealer here and now. "Nate, what's going on?"

"Nothing!"

"I don't know how you deal with soldiers when you're such a bad liar," you sigh. " _Nate_."

Nate sets his jaw, but quickly relents. Rather than say anything, he rolls up one sleeve the way he had this morning.

That bite on his wrist definitely wasn't there this morning.

You recoil. Sully draws his gun and racks the slide just as quickly, and Nate flinches.

"When?" you ask quietly.

"When we got split up because of that pillar," Nate says, not meeting your eyes. "Elena, I didn't want to leave you alone until we met up with Sully - he'll take care of you -"

"No," you murmur, shaking your head. "We're gonna figure this out, okay? I heard the Fireflies are looking for a cure -"

"There's no cure, Elena," Sully says wearily, at the same time as Nate says, "It's already worse than it was an hour ago. Look, Sully and I talked about this years ago - I don't want to turn into one of -"

"And you didn't think it would be a good idea to talk about this with your _wife_?" you demand, then immediately glance around: You know your voice is going shrill and usually you hate that (it tends to undermine your arguments), but better to go up in pitch than volume in case you attract Infected.

_More_ Infected. God.

"Elena, I might not have my conscience much longer but I don't need your Infected corpse on it!"

"Let him go," Sully advises. "I'll take care of him, and then I'll get you back to the QZ."

You step forward and reach up to touch Nate's face.

"I'm sorry," you tell him. "I should have been there - if I'd been faster checking that drawer -"

"It's not your fault," he says. " _I'm_ sorry."

"I know," you say simply. You tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too."

Slowly, taking one last long look at him, you back away, and then you turn around. "I can't watch this."

"I just came from that room," Sully says, gesturing behind him. "It's secure."

You nod, unable to speak, and retreat to the other room, which looks like it used to be a home office. After closing the door behind you, your gaze drifts over the desk and one distant corner of your mind says you should check for supplies, but instead your feet just take you to the opposite side of the room, where you sag down the wall and cover your ears.

It's still the loudest shot you've ever heard.


	5. Harry and Chloe, consulting the Helix Fossil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first thing Harry pulls out of his backpack is the fossil, and for some reason he takes a moment to admire it before answering Lazarevic, who's pissed off that he hasn't seen them since the morning. Chloe raises her eyebrows. It's not like she's working with _Nate_ here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, not actually a prompt, but inspired by [an Imagine Yuor OTP post](http://imagineyuorotp.tumblr.com/post/77340314641/imagine-yuor-otp-consulting-the-helix-fossil), which was no doubt inspired by Twitch Plays Pokemon. AU in which Mt. Moon is in Borneo, I guess?

On their two month anniversary of being in the jungle without a clue, Harry decides to try the mountain.

"We haven't been there yet," he says when Chloe rolls her eyes. "It can't hurt."

"We don't have mountain climbing equipment," she points out. "It can _absolutely_ hurt."

"We'll just stick to the lower parts," he says.

It turns out, when they find an entrance only a few miles above sea level, that the mountain hides a cave system. The place shows signs of human use, which explains why it's surprisingly easy to navigate without equipment.

"We might actually be onto something," Harry says in wonder, shining his torch onto steps that have clearly been carved out. "Polo's crew might have used this place."

"No bodies, though," Chloe says, wrinkling her nose. "No tools, no jewelry, no giant sapphires..."

Nothing but a couple of fossils on the way out. She takes the one that reminds her of a trilobite she saw in a museum once; he takes the one with a spiral. Considering Lazarevic doesn't have this place marked as an official excavation site (yet) and they know how to make the spot where they found them look untouched, they're fairly certain they won't get caught.

It's dark when they get outside, and Harry's radio, long forgotten in his pack because there was no signal inside the mountain, buzzes.

"Oh, shit," he says, dropping his bag and opening it up to grab the radio. The first thing he pulls out is the fossil, and for some reason he takes a moment to admire it before answering Lazarevic, who's pissed off that he hasn't seen them since the morning. Chloe raises her eyebrows. It's not like she's working with _Nate_ here.

 

Since they didn't find anything but the fossils, they don't tell Lazarevic about the mountain. It's taken two months, but the rest of the island is finally neatly sectioned off into excavation sites where Chloe watches the unexpectedly hilarious sight of burly Eastern European men delicately digging around to see if they find anything. (It's less hilarious when they're not so delicate.) Even that novelty soon wears off, and Lazarevic isn't too pleased when their overly energetic methods end up damaging the odd artefact they do find. As the only ones here with actual archaeological experience, she and Harry start picking sites to visit and 'supervise' at random, when they get bored of poring over Lazarevic's documents to see if there's a clue they've missed.

"Site eleven?" Harry suggests halfheartedly.

"We went there yesterday," Chloe sighs.

"I don't even keep track any more," he admits. "I know what, we'll consult the fossil."

"I can't wait until we get out of here," she says as he goes to get it from his bag. "I've already got a buyer interested in mine."

"Think they'll want mine?"

Harry tosses the fossil onto the ground (gently). It rolls around in circles a bit before the outer end of the spiral points towards the north.

"Site three, then."

"Yeah, why not."

 

The fossil becomes not only their increasingly frequent direction decider, but also the coin they flip when they're alone. At first Chloe finds it somewhat amusing, so long as they don't get caught with something of value. (It doesn't hurt that "Is that a fossil in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" works surprisingly well.) But then he starts admiring the fossil more often, getting so distracted that she's convinced someone else will see it.

"Will you stop that?" she hisses, when it actually _is_ a fossil in his pocket and he gets it out to show her. "If Lazarevic finds out we found something -"

"He won't," Harry says breezily. "I have consulted Felix: He'll never catch on."

"You gave it a _name_?" Chloe asks, horrified.

"The Helix?" he enunciates more clearly. "It's a spiral, it looks a bit like a helix. I'm just trying to set it apart from yours."

"That's easy enough because I _don't talk about_ mine."

"Wherever you're keeping yours, I hope it's safe," he says with genuine concern. "What with you being the only woman around here..."

She smacks him in the arm, making him drop the fossil. _Good_.

(Her fossil's still in her bag untouched when they return to the main camp. She's not stupid; she's seen the way some of the men look at her. It's nothing new.

(What _is_ new is the irritated glances they shoot at Harry, whom she's guessing they view as a cockblocker. On one hand it's nice that something stops them from going through her things or harrassing her in broken English like what's happened on some jobs; on the other, it's annoying that they don't stop themselves.)

 

It feels like they're running out of places to look.

She has now been in the jungle for almost three months, which is longer than she'd been in her last country before taking this bloody job. Bad enough that she's getting antsy, but _Lazarevic_ is too, and when Lazarevic is in a bad mood, people start fearing for their wellbeing. It's making her and Harry increasingly desperate, which is not the best frame of mind for their line of work.

"All hail the Helix Fossil," he mumbles in his sleep one night, and Chloe knows they need to get Nate in here.

 

" _Over six hundred people were shipwrecked here, yet there's no bodies?_ " Nate asks over the radios. " _Don't you find that a little odd?_ "

"So where did they all go?" she asks, darting a glance around a tree.

" _Where would_ you _go, if a tsunami hit?_ "

Chloe glances at the pack Harry had first put his fossil in and thinks suddenly of the mountain, of the human carved steps. They didn't find anything but the fossils in the cave system they found, but maybe the crew used another part of the mountain more.

"To higher ground."


	6. Guy Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddy lives. Apparently to pester Nate about girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not actually prompted: I just wanted to write the boys talking about Rika and for some reason it happened to be in a DF AU where Eddy lives.
> 
> The Indonesian insults are from [this book](http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=qZDQAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT202&lpg=PT202&dq=indonesian+insults&source=bl&ots=CRxw8OHfRf&sig=9-2e5fp1nynyMjNucIo5-rmB1f8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5Q25U7SrGIrDkQWEu4DIDw&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=indonesian%20insults&f=false), so let me know if I messed anything up.

As you enter the hotel bar, Eddy glances up at you just long enough to give you a nod of acknowledgement before looking back at his phone. You don't think much of it until you have your beer and he's still texting.

"What are you doing?" you ask, sitting down opposite him. "Writing a novel?"

"No, dengkulmu," Eddy retorts. "I'm telling wives and boyfriends that their pirate men aren't coming home."

Huh. Telling next of kin is almost thoughtful of him.

"By text message?"

Almost.

"I don't see you ponying up the cash to call them," he points out. "We haven't sold the gold yet."

You fall silent, because that's completely fair. You probably _should_ pay for him to call, really, considering how many of those dead men are because of you, but you didn't exactly come to the island with much cash either.

Finally, Eddy looks up. "Where's the girl?"

Elena's saved his ass on more than one occasion, and he still won't use her name behind her back. Classic Eddy Raja. Still, the thought of her makes you smile without meaning to, and you reply, "Taking a nap. The time zone change's been rough on her."

"Don't pretend you didn't keep her up last night. The walls are thin," he adds by way of explanation, before he grins. "Ah, Drake, dasar tobangke gile."

"Ndasmu njeblug," you say mildly. " _Sully's_ the tobangke, not me."

"Should've guessed you like white girls," Eddy says. "My sister wasn't good enough for you, huh?"

Mid-sip, you choke on your beer, and have to cough yourself clear before responding. "Hey, _she_ ditched _me_ , so if anything _I_ probably wasn't good enough for _her_. It wasn't serious; she knew that."

Eddy rolls his eyes. "Is this thing with the reporter serious, then? What, you like your big heists as foreplay instead of the morning after?"

That's so ridiculous considering your industry that you have to laugh. "I dunno about the reporter, but the last time I got anywhere close to serious, the girl practically beat me up long before we slept together. Rika only pulled a gun on me afterwards."

You pause, remembering something: Elena had punched you in the Amazon.

As you rub your eye at the memory, Eddy takes a sip of his own, long forgotten beer and makes a face. It's probably gotten warm.

"I wonder what she's doing now," he says.

"Your sister?" you ask, because you just mentioned three different girls in one sentence.

Eddy glares as an answer. Aw, he does care about Rika.

"Probably off enjoying her millions somewhere," you suggest.

"If anyone pays up," he says sourly. "It's gonna be worth less with the Path destroyed."

"Does she even know where to get rid of this kind of thing?" you ask, because while she can hold her own against violent men, the business side of, well, the business is a whole 'nother game.

"She's smart. Smarter than me," Eddy admits, to your surprise. "She'll figure it out."

"Who'll figure what out?"

You look up to find Elena standing by your table with some kind of cocktail and a smile. On reflex, you smile back.

"Mutual acquaintance of ours," you say. "It's a long story."

"You still owe me one," she points out.

Eddy grunts, and stands. "Tell her a different story, you bangsat. I'm going to nag Sullivan about that buyer."

You wave as he leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The section about things with Rika not being serious is taken from beltsquid's [tags on a gifset](http://beltsquid.tumblr.com/post/90918460653/how-to-romance-nathan-drake). Really, though, what _is_ Rika doing now?


	7. the team, Final Fantasy X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summoner Elena and her Guardians leave Luca.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started out thinking about Elena as a Summoner with Charlie as her first Guardian, picking up Nate and Sully as Guardians on her way, and Chloe as the best Blitzball player in the sport who, despite being Al Bhed, has no interest in rescuing Summoners. Beltsquid [chimed in](http://pohutukaryl.tumblr.com/post/91810058096/beltsquid-replied-to-request-for-ufx-2-deets) about her placing the Uncharted (visual) ladies into FFX roles based on Rika and Paine sharing a voice actor, I had a good cackle over Chloe and Elena being cousins because Rikku and Yuna are, and then Rhiannon87 [asked where Harry was](http://pohutukaryl.tumblr.com/post/91810617896/rhiannon42-replied-to-cousins-the-relationship) and my brain ran away with the world.
> 
> Also, I really like giving canon dialogue to different characters in AUs.

Elena dusts off her pants. "You ready to go?"

"Hold on," says Nate, and he grabs Chloe and kisses her for so long that Charlie starts looking at his watch.

"Exemplary technique," he deadpans. "I can see why she scouted you."

Finally, Nate disengages, looking confused. "What does 'exemplary' mean?"

Chloe pats him on the cheek. "Caa oui uh dra udran ceta, Nate. Bye, Elena."

They nod to each other, then go their separate ways, Charlie having to grab Sully and turn him around from watching Chloe go. When Elena catches Nate looking back over his shoulder too, she hesitates, then turns around.

"You know, you can come with us if you want."

Chloe whirls around. "Excuse me?"

"You can fight, right?" Chloe nods, but doesn't look any less wary. "We'll say you're my guardian."

She snorts. "No: You made your choice."

Elena raises an eyebrow. "What did you expect me to do?"

"Sin's coming and you thought you could do something about it," Chloe narrates for her. "Becoming a summoner is _exactly_ what I expected you to do. I just didn't think you'd try to get me involved."

"Chloe, listen -"

"No, _you_ listen." Looking around them as if searching for someone, she steps closer. "Roman, on my team? His brother runs one of those summoner 'rescue' missions. Did I tell him you were here? No, because the world's going to Sin either way."

"Thank you," Elena says quietly. Her reasons might be terrible, but her cousin still got her out of a major inconvenience to her pilgrimage.

"But just because you're willing to throw your life away fighting Sin doesn't mean I'm going to throw mine away helping you get there," she goes on. "I have a team here, and we still have to kick some Goer ass in the final."

Elena cracks a grin, and immediately feels some of the tension ease. "Yeah, that's important too. Be the competition Harry was praying for at Kilika Temple."

Chloe gets an odd smirk on her face like she's trying not to laugh. "You've met him?"

"I may have punched him in the face for his arrogance," Elena admits, examining her nails.

"You broke his nose."

"I'd _wondered_ why he didn't play the first round," Charlie says. "I wasn't really buying their crap about saving him for the final."

"You didn't hear it from me," Chloe drawls.

Elena smiles. Inviting her along to let her and Nate stay together was a dumb idea, anyway; she should have known they weren't that serious.

"Good luck with the rest of the tournament," she says sincerely. "Especially with the Goers. _Screw_ the Goers."

"Oh, I plan to," Chloe says, smirking. "Good luck with..." She shrugs. "Not dying before you plan to."

They look at each other. Chloe sticks out her hand. Elena goes for the hug, because they might not get along that well, but for all she knows, this could be the last time she ever sees her cousin.

"No, no, not drunk or victorious enough for this," Chloe protests.

Elena laughs as she releases her. "Poa, Chloe."

Chloe waves pointedly, and then all but flees, claiming to have practice. Elena gestures a quick prayer for her before leading her guardians out.

"She's the best in the sport, you know," says Charlie.

"So I've heard," Elena replies.

They're a few blocks away when Nate suddenly blurts out, "Wait, how did she know his nose was broken?"


End file.
